Chapter 947: The Fragile Heart

Fang Chen furrowed his brow. In the Central Continent Empire, Northern Dipper, and Celestial Heaven, sword cultivators had always been synonymous with extreme offensive might. Their status was far above that of ordinary cultivators. Qin Hucheng clearly wasn’t referring to here.

But then... had he also been to places like Longyuan or Qiufeng? Perhaps the old sword immortal had told him about the awkward position sword cultivators faced in those places?

"We sword cultivators spend our entire lives cultivating, all for the sake of this sword. Even if our lifespan is shorter than that of ordinary cultivators, we never let it trouble us. Living a carefree life, even for just one lifetime, is enough to satisfy us." Qin Hucheng smiled. "Do you think that's excessive?"

Fang Chen shook his head. "No."

The others watched in astonishment as Fang Chen spoke to the air, nodding and shaking his head. Their faces were filled with disbelief.

Qin Hucheng was already a corpse. It was normal to say a few words, but holding a conversation?

It was like he was speaking with Qin Hucheng’s ghost or something!

"Could he have gone mad?" someone in the crowd murmured in terror.

If someone like that were to lose his mind, would they be able to make it out of this place alive?

At this moment, the ones most afraid weren't the onlookers. Rather, they were those closely tied to Lixiao, like Emperor Lixiao and his followers.

The older and younger cultivators occasionally glanced at the withered corpse of Ancestor Lixiao, their hearts seemingly filled with dread. It felt as though they were carrying a heavy mountain, so oppressive that they could hardly breathe.

"Yes, that's not excessive at all." Qin Hucheng nodded. "I actually wasn't born in the Central Continent. Back when I was young, I lived in a distant place you could never imagine. My parents were both sword cultivators as well."

"Which of the Nine Realms did you come from, Senior Brother?" Fang Chen asked.

Qin Hucheng froze for a moment. He looked at Fang Chen with a strange expression before laughing. "It seems you know quite a bit. Like you, I'm from the Ancient Desolate Realm. The difference is that I come from Qiufeng. Have you ever heard of it? It's much larger than the Central Continent Empire, Celestial Heaven, and Northern Dipper combined. It has a wealth of powerful figures, and beings like First Rate Sect Leaders are not uncommon."

Fang Chen nodded. "I've heard of it."

"If you ever have the chance, Junior Brother, you should go take a look. But remember, don't go there as a sword cultivator," Qin Hucheng said with a faint, mocking smile in his eyes. "If you go there as a sword cultivator, you'll only earn scorn. They'll look down on the sword in your hand and belittle the path you've chosen.

"In that place, sword cultivators are nothing but pawns in the eyes of the big shots, disposable tools that are as cheap as dirt.

"When I was a child, my parents were drawn into a sword duel because the children of some big shot were fighting. My father's swordsmanship was good, and he won, but my mother died in that duel. It didn't matter much, though. We sword cultivators are born for such things. If someone truly has talent, why would they ever walk this path?

"Unfortunately, the sword cultivator my father defeated had a little master behind him who thought my father had humiliated him."

Qin Hucheng looked at Fang Chen, forcing a bitter smile. "He ordered for my father to be captured alive, thrown into an oil pot, and made me watch. If I didn't, they would whip me. In the end, they made me eat a crispy heart.... It was my father's heart."

Fang Chen was shocked upon hearing that. He stared at Qin Hucheng in a daze. He never imagined that Qin Hucheng's childhood would be so tragic.

Qin Hucheng continued, "After that, I became an orphan, fighting with stray dogs for food, competing with beggars for steamed buns. I practiced the sword desperately. Even though sword cultivators were looked down upon, no one would truly ever disregard a sword cultivator's sword."

He smiled bitterly. "If I wanted revenge, there was only one path to walk."

He paused for a moment. "Back then, I was too naive, too impatient. I thought I could take revenge with just a bit of skill, but I failed. Just when I thought I was going to die, someone killed my pursuers and brought me to the Central Continent Empire. That was when I realized there was a place where sword cultivators were actually respected."

"Was it the old sword immortal?" Fang Chen asked.

Qin Hucheng nodded. "Mm."

Qin Hucheng's eyes darkened. "But don't misunderstand, the old sword immortal had nothing to do with the Spirit Blood Sect."

"Then who was it?" Fang Chen asked.

Qin Hucheng's expression grew more complicated. "He told me that as long as I joined the Spirit Blood Sect, I would have the chance to change everything. I thought there was some truth to his words, so I joined."

"To change everything with the Blood Spirit Pill, huh?" said Fang Chen, his voice laced with understanding.

Qin Hucheng gave a small smile and replied, "Junior Brother Fang, I've been in the Spirit Blood Sect all this time, yet I haven't consumed even half a pill.

"But that doesn't change the fact that I caused the death of countless people. Junior Sister Yu developed the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo due to my and Gai Wu's scheming, so you don't need to feel the slightest guilt for killing me. You didn't do anything wrong, and neither did I."

Fang Chen smiled back. "If you didn't do anything wrong, and I didn't do anything wrong, then who did?"

Qin Hucheng shook his head. "Who knows?"

Fang Chen asked, "If you could see your parents again, would you let go of your obsession, Senior Brother?"

Qin Hucheng paused for a moment, as if something had crossed his mind.

Fang Chen continued, "Now that you've died, you've become a wandering soul. Your parents did, too, when they died. If you're lucky, you may still have a chance to meet them."

Qin Hucheng's expression turned serious. "What do you want me to do?"

"Tell me, who are the people behind you and Gai Wu?" Fang Chen asked.

Qin Hucheng thought for a few moments and then shook his head lightly. "I've long forgotten what my parents looked like. Whether we meet or not, it makes no difference."

Fang Chen frowned. "Is it really necessary to protect that person?"

"Junior Brother Fang, even if you know who he is, what will you do? With just these few people you brought? Even if you manage to suppress him, can you suppress the entire Spirit Blood Sect?" Qin Hucheng shook his head. "What Gai Wu said earlier wasn’t wrong; you can win once or twice, but the Spirit Blood Sect will win for a lifetime. Listen to me. Forget these matters. Focus on walking your own path as a sword cultivator."

His gaze grew intense, his eyes reflecting Fang Chen's figure. "With your talent, your methods, perhaps you have the chance to change the status of sword cultivators in Qiufeng."

Qin Hucheng's words echoed in Fang Chen's ears.

"Even if you are unwilling to leave this place, you can still protect this small patch of land. If they set their sights here, sword cultivators like us will have no peace in the future."

Empress Ci calmly chimed in, “Your Highness, it seems his mouth is very tight. Let me handle this."

A chill ran down Qin Hucheng's spine upon hearing that. He quickly said, "Junior Brother Fang, don't humiliate me."

Fang Chen smiled. "Gai Wu knows some things as well. Empress Ci, I leave him to you. I hope you can extract some information from that guy."

Qin Hucheng let out a breath of relief.

Gai Wu's expression twisted in anger and fear as Empress Ci unceremoniously dragged him into the large red bridal palanquin.

A flash of worry crossed Qin Hucheng's eyes. He wasn't sure whether Gai Wu could withstand such torment. His mouth might not hold tight in the end.

Fang Chen glanced at Xun Xiyin. "Fourth Princess, we've dealt with the obvious pieces. Now, it's time to deal with the hidden agents the Spirit Blood Sect has placed here. I'll leave this matter to you to coordinate. Lord Stone Dragon and the others will cooperate with you. I'm a bit tired, so I'll rest for a while."

With that, he walked over to the central grand chair and sat down, closing his eyes as if he truly felt fatigued and needed a break.

Xun Xiyin nodded. The Killing Spiritual Division had already prepared a list of Spirit Blood Sect cultivators from Lixiao.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Soon, the members of the Killing Spiritual Division appeared in the air like mushrooms after a rain, each one a disciple who had long infiltrated this place. The others were shocked to realize that the Killing Spiritual Division had already embedded so many cultivators here, silently preparing for this moment.

The scene was filled with spiritual power swirling in the air. At times, a scream or a roar would echo through the void. The cultivators in the spiritual hall began to feel uneasy, fearing that they might be the next ones to be purged.

Mi Sheng's mind briefly wandered as she watched the scene unfold before her. The atmosphere resembled the one she had witnessed many years ago in Grand Qian, though the difference was striking. Back then, there had been a figure who had tirelessly fought to destroy the Spirit Spirit Sect's plans, willing to risk everything to undermine their efforts.

But now, that same figure sat silently, with no need to act personally. The Spirit Blood Sect's schemes had become as fragile as tofu, easily crushed before him.

Comparing the two scenarios, Mi Sheng couldn't help but feel as if hundreds of years had passed since then. Yet, in reality, only a few decades had gone by. In such a short time, this person had already reached such an incredible height.